"Oh, please come in, Young Master! Our shop may be small, but it's clean and tidy. I'm sure you'll be satisfied!" The shopkeeper immediately put on a fawning smile and hurried over, bowing lower than he ever had before.
Although he didn't know Lin Xuan's identity, years of experience navigating the martial world told him that this young master was no ordinary person. There was an air about him that made others reluctant to slight him.
The shopkeeper personally ushered Lin Xuan to a seat and arranged the finest room for him. Its windows were bright and spotless, and the furnishings were elegant. He even went out of his way to serve a pot of fine Daughter Red, its rich fragrance soothing to the senses—the inn's best vintage.
"Young Master, you have an extraordinary bearing. From your face, I can tell you're destined for greatness, with limitless prospects!" The shopkeeper smiled broadly, doing everything he could to flatter him. He was relying on little more than intuition and the keen eye of a man of the martial world, but he felt Lin Xuan had to be either wealthy or noble, and certainly no ordinary man.
Lin Xuan merely smiled faintly and raised his cup in return, speaking with modesty. "You flatter me, Shopkeeper. I'm just a wandering swordsman, traveling the martial world in search of a little peace and quiet."
The more modest Lin Xuan was, the more extraordinary the shopkeeper thought him. His humility seemed to conceal unfathomable depths, making the shopkeeper even more careful not to slight him. His composure and calm, so at odds with his age, made him seem like a wise man detached from worldly affairs—or perhaps a disciple of some reclusive master. The shopkeeper speculated that someone like him might be a young hero from a great sect, or a young noble from a prominent clan out gaining experience.
Chapter 2: Rescuing Shuang'er, Affection Soars
Over the next few days, Lin Xuan's travels through the martial world became a stage for him to act as a chivalrous hero.
He never rushed blindly to save people. Each time he intervened, he did so with just the right amount of calculation.
He left Qinghe Town and headed north. This area was close to Zhili, in what was now Hebei, and was relatively sparsely populated.
One afternoon, as he rode through a mountain hollow, he suddenly heard the clash of blades and a woman's startled cry up ahead.
He reined in his horse and looked toward the sounds. In the woods ahead, he saw a group of burly men dressed in black surrounding several young women.
The women wore plain cloth garments. Their features were delicate, and their brows carried a distinct air of resilience. They clearly weren't pampered young ladies from wealthy families.
Though few in number, they worked together with perfect coordination. They had no weapons, but their nimble footwork let them hold their own against their attackers. Still, they were outnumbered, and their situation had become perilous.
The one who caught Lin Xuan's attention most was a girl of about sixteen or seventeen. She moved with graceful agility, her features were pretty, and her expressive eyes held the gentle charm of a Jiangnan girl.
Her figure was slender yet shapely. Beneath her plain clothes, the graceful curves of a young woman were faintly visible. To Lin Xuan, her purity and resilience made her especially alluring.
"You miserable wenches, give up! Come quietly with us, and you'll suffer less!" the leader in black snarled. He swung his long saber, nearly knocking the girl off her feet.
Lin Xuan reined in his horse, his gaze turning cold. He could tell these men in black weren't ordinary bandits. Their moves bore traces of military training, and they had a clear objective: they seemed to be after the women.
He urged his horse forward without speeding up, approaching at an easy pace. The sound of hooves rang out distinctly in the secluded hollow, making the men in black turn around warily.
"What vermin are you, daring to commit evil in broad daylight?" Lin Xuan's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a grave authority that commanded respect.
Like a cool mountain breeze, it swept gently through the hollow, yet held an undeniable force that instantly drowned out the men's shouts.
The leader saw that Lin Xuan was alone and unarmed. Though he had an extraordinary bearing, he looked too refined to be a threat, so the man paid him no mind.
He spat and cursed, "Where'd you come from, brat? If you know what's good for you, get lost! Stick your nose in our business, and you might lose your life!" He clearly didn't take the seemingly frail young master seriously.
Lin Xuan ignored his rudeness. Calmly and slowly, he dismounted, as though he were not about to face a band of vicious thugs but simply taking a leisurely stroll.
He enjoyed the feeling of having everything under control, and watching his opponents shift from contempt to fear.
Just as the nearest man in black swung his saber at him, Lin Xuan turned slightly. It looked casual, but he used the exquisite footwork of the Nine Yin Manual to evade the blade.
At the same time, he flicked a finger. The steel saber flew from the man's hand with a clang and embedded itself several yards away in a tree trunk, its hilt still quivering.
Then Lin Xuan casually tossed his reins to another man in black, who stood frozen, stunned into silence by the inexplicable spectacle.
"Hold my horse for me. Don't get it dirty," Lin Xuan instructed nonchalantly. His tone was as natural as if he were speaking to a familiar stable hand, yet it carried an unquestionable command.
The underling was completely cowed by Lin Xuan's presence and the bizarre turn of events. Almost as if possessed, he took the reins and stood there motionless.
Even when the horse rubbed comfortably against the hem of his clothes, he didn't dare make a sound. The bizarre scene left the leader and the other men in black stunned.
They had assumed Lin Xuan was about to attack, but they hadn't expected him to do something so unusual, as if they weren't worth his attention. His composure only made them more afraid.
Lin Xuan sneered inwardly. This was how you established your authority. The more unexpected your actions, the more they unnerved people.
Among the women he had rescued, the older one had narrowed her eyes sharply the moment Lin Xuan made his move.
She had seen many martial arts masters, but never one so casual and unfathomable. She stared fixedly at Lin Xuan's back, her mind racing through several unbelievable rumors.
"What skill!" The leader's expression changed, and fear flashed through his eyes. He swallowed and tried to sound composed. "Y-you... what master are you? State your name!" He tried to test Lin Xuan by invoking the rules of the martial world.
With his back to the man, Lin Xuan seemed to be brushing dust from the hem of his clothes. He didn't answer directly.
He turned around calmly and looked at the women, especially the pretty girl. He enjoyed being admired, particularly by beautiful women.
At that moment, the rescued girl behind him watched his every move with clear, intent eyes.
Lin Xuan's otherworldly composure and unfathomable martial arts skills gave her long-suffering heart a sense of shock and safety unlike anything she had ever known.
She had heard people mention that a young hero had recently appeared in the martial world, a man of both wisdom and courage with extraordinary methods who had accomplished a remarkable feat in Xiangyang City.
His reputation and the way he carried himself seemed to match the young master before her.
He was simply dressed, yet his bearing was extraordinary. He was young, yet his martial arts were unfathomably deep. Without saying much, he had cowed a whole crowd. How closely that resembled the tales of him circulating through the martial world!
"H-he's Young Master Lin!" The girl couldn't suppress her shock and delight, and she couldn't help whispering it aloud.
Though her voice was quiet, her certainty was unmistakable. "The... Little Zhuge Lin Xuan from Xiangyang City." Her eyes shone with admiration that knew no bounds.
The girl's few words weren't loud, but they struck the leader and every man in black like a thunderclap!
Their fierce expressions turned to terror, then drained of color as cold sweat poured down their faces.
The name Little Zhuge Lin Xuan had spread not only throughout the Central Plains, but even into Zhili! These desperate men, who lived by the sword, loved listening to tales of the martial world.
Of course they knew what kind of hero that name belonged to! He was the fearsome man who had wiped out the Mongolian elite Wolf Riders in a single night!
He was the peerless figure admired by countless martial artists, a man who could hold his own in court and in the martial world alike!
The leader's steel saber clattered to the ground. He dropped to his knees with a thud, his body shaking violently. All traces of arrogance vanished from his face, leaving only deep fear and regret.
"Spare me! Young Master Lin, spare me! I... I was blind to your greatness! I failed to recognize a hero!" He kowtowed and wailed, tears and snot streaming down his face. Soon, blood marked his forehead. "I'll never dare do it again! Please spare my life, Young Master Lin!"
The other men in black threw down their weapons and fell over one another to kneel and beg for mercy. Their wails rose and fell, and some were so frightened they soiled themselves, filling the air with a foul stench.
Lin Xuan simply watched them coldly, without the slightest pity. He had never been soft on evildoers, but neither did he care to get too much blood on his own hands.
Besides, he still needed these "survivors" to stir things up and draw out the people behind it all. They could be of use to him.
He used Soul Shifting Great Law from the Nine Yin Manual, bolstering it with a surge of Internal Energy, and whispered a few words in the leader's ear.
"Go turn yourself in to the authorities, and confess who was behind this. If you dare conceal even a little, there will be nowhere in the world you can hide, and no one who can save you!" Lin Xuan's voice was cold and imposing, his command unquestionable as it pierced straight into the man's heart.
The leader seemed to have been placed under a spell. His eyes went vacant, and then, like a marionette, he staggered off toward the main road with his men.
Lin Xuan's methods had clearly cowed them completely; they no longer had the slightest will to resist.
Only then did Lin Xuan turn to the women he had rescued. His gaze passed over them, especially the pretty girl, and he saw their fear after escaping disaster and the deep awe in their eyes.
"Are you all right, ladies?" His voice was gentle, like a spring breeze brushing willow branches, soothing their frightened hearts.
An older woman stepped forward. She wore plain cloth clothes and had a calm demeanor; she was clearly in charge of the group.
She bowed gracefully to Lin Xuan, her voice filled with boundless gratitude. "Thank you for saving us, Young Master Lin. We will never forget your great kindness. If you hadn't stepped in, we would have been doomed."
Beside her, the girl imitated her and bowed in thanks. When she lifted her head, she secretly stole a glance at the young man before her with eyes like a startled fawn's.
His face was as handsome as jade, his eyes bright as stars, and he radiated an indescribable, otherworldly presence, like an immortal stepped out of a painting.
Her oval cheeks flushed with a pair of shy pink blossoms, making her snow-white skin seem even fairer. She was petite yet shapely, and her plain clothes could not hide her graceful figure.
Her heart began to race, and two blushes rose involuntarily to her cheeks. Such was the charm of the Yin Yang Deficit Supplementation Technique: it could captivate hearts without anyone realizing.
"Please, there's no need for such formalities. Get up," Lin Xuan said gently, helping them to their feet, his voice carrying just the right amount of concern.
"May I ask where you ladies came from? What happened to you?" Lin Xuan asked softly, a hint of worry in his voice.
The older woman hesitated and glanced at the girl beside her, as if recalling something she would rather not discuss. In the end, though, she decided to be honest.
"We are old acquaintances from Huzhou. Our family fell on hard times, and we now live in a large house deep in the mountains of Hebei. We came out today to buy some supplies, but never expected to meet with such a disaster..."
She clearly didn't want to go into the details of her family, but the words "old acquaintances from Huzhou," "fallen on hard times," and "large house deep in the mountains of Hebei" were enough for Lin Xuan to guess a few things.
He didn't let anything show, only replying warmly, "I see. These are difficult times, and it can't be easy for you ladies to be out on your own."
"You did the right thing by helping those in trouble. Your carriage has been destroyed, so I can send someone to town to find a replacement and arrange some travel money to help you reach your destination. Please don't worry about it."
Just as Lin Xuan was preparing to take his leave, the girl bit her lower lip, summoned her courage, and suddenly knelt down again. Her clear eyes held both a pleading look and firm resolve.
"Young... Young Master Lin," she said in a voice as faint as a mosquito's, trembling uncontrollably yet strangely resolute. "Shuang'er... Shuang'er has known since childhood that a great kindness..."
She paused as if weighing her words, but in the end she made up her mind. "Shuang'er is willing to stay by your side for the rest of her life! Shuang'er... Shuang'er is willing to serve you as a maid and attend to your every need, to repay your great kindness!"
Her pretty little face had turned so red it looked ready to drip blood, her cheeks radiant with color.
"Please... please don't reject Shuang'er. Shuang'er... Shuang'er is willing to give you everything. I only ask that you... don't cast me aside!" She lowered her head, her cheeks almost red enough to bleed, but she didn't waver in the slightest.
The resilience she had developed through a hard life, and her determination to repay kindness, became the most direct declaration of her feelings.
"Shuang'er?" The name flashed through Lin Xuan's mind.
The pretty girl before him was actually Shuang'er, the gentle, kind, and unwaveringly devoted girl from The Deer and the Cauldron!
When Shuang'er said this, the older woman cried out and tried to stop her, but Shuang'er silenced her with a look.
She knew Shuang'er was a girl who valued kindness above all else. Besides, even serving as a maid to Young Master Lin would be a tremendous fortune. His protection might be far more reliable than returning to the perilous Zhuang family estate.
At Shuang'er's words, Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow slightly.
Just like in the original story, Shuang'er valued love and loyalty. Once she accepted someone as her benefactor, she would devote herself to him without reservation. A beautiful woman so steadfast in her devotion was a rare treasure!
But he kept his expression unchanged. He sighed softly and shook his head as if helpless. Playing hard to get was the mark of a true expert.
"Why would you say such a thing? I saw injustice and stepped in to help. It was only my duty. How could I accept repayment?" Lin Xuan spoke sincerely, as if he truly had no ulterior motive.
His words were perfectly noble, making him sound like a saint who expected nothing in return.
Yet his gaze carried a subtle trace of encouragement and anticipation as it rested on Shuang'er. The magnetic charm radiating from his Yin Yang Deficit Supplementation Technique only strengthened her resolve. He knew Shuang'er wouldn't give up easily.
But Shuang'er only grew more determined, a stubborn light shining in her eyes. She had suffered hardship from childhood. Her parents had been killed, and she had wandered from place to place; kindness was the one thing she valued most.
She had been lonely since childhood and understood the misery of having no one to rely on. The young master before her was the most handsome and dignified man she had ever met, and the one who made her feel safest.
His calm authority in every gesture convinced her that only by following him could she find true peace.
"If Young Master Lin won't accept Shuang'er, then Shuang'er... Shuang'er will stay kneeling here forever!" Shuang'er stubbornly kowtowed, her forehead touching the ground. Her voice carried a firm resolve that brooked no refusal.
"Shuang'er is all alone, with no one to rely on. You saved my life, Young Master. If I can't repay your kindness, then... then I'll never have peace for the rest of my life! Please, Young Master... whatever you do, take me in!"
Seeing how determined she was, Lin Xuan looked troubled, as if moved by her "innocent" persistence. Inwardly, however, he was overjoyed. The girl really was stubborn.
He sighed softly, as though giving in reluctantly. You had to see the act through.
"Very well, very well..." He stepped forward and personally helped Shuang'er to her feet.
His fingers touched her soft wrist, and he felt its warm tremor from nervousness. As if struck by lightning, Shuang'er's face turned even redder.
Her petite body trembled slightly, like a flower just about to bloom, making her seem all the more endearing. Lin Xuan secretly relished it: the feel of her, her reaction—she truly was an innocent young girl with no experience. He was already looking forward to their "intimate conversations" in the future.
"Since your mind is made up, it would be unreasonable of me to keep refusing," Lin Xuan said with a slight smile, his eyes carrying a faint, almost imperceptible affection.
That affection was genuine. After all, who wouldn't cherish a girl like Shuang'er?
"But don't speak of serving me as a slave or a maid again. Just stay by my side for now."
"Thank you, Young Master! Thank you!" Tears welled in Shuang'er's eyes, and she was so grateful she hardly knew what to do. She knew Lin Xuan had granted her a great honor.
She stood respectfully beside Lin Xuan, like his most loyal shadow.
Seeing this, the older woman knew Lin Xuan's strength and Shuang'er's decision could not be changed. She could only sigh, thank Lin Xuan repeatedly, and hurry away with the other women.
Book recommendation: The Martial God Who Began at Mantuo Mountain Villa
I'd like to recommend the great Sea Leopard's The Martial God Who Began at Mantuo Mountain Villa. We're both among the few authors on this site who write wuxia. This book is fantastic; its top-tier results speak for themselves, and the writing is incredibly good. The male lead goes after women decisively, without dragging things out, and he's both charismatic and steamy. It also updates incredibly fast—like a rocket (seriously impressive). Everyone should go check it out!
Chapter 3: Shuang'er Gives Herself to Him
Ever since Shuang'er decided to follow Lin Xuan, her nature had become like a stream thawing in spring. She still carried a little of the shyness she'd shown when they first met, but now she also had a soothing gentleness and thoughtfulness.
Lin Xuan didn't hurry on. Instead, he slowed their journey, stopping at an inn each evening. He discovered that Shuang'er really was a natural homemaker, just as she was in the novel: gentle and considerate.
The charm of the Yin Yang Deficit Supplementation Technique, combined with the warmth and strength Lin Xuan deliberately displayed, had won the purehearted girl over completely.
She always took care of everything without a word.
She carefully washed and dried Lin Xuan's clothes, then folded them neatly. She prepared his tea ahead of time, making sure it was just the right temperature.
Even when he occasionally read a book, she would quietly blow on pages where the ink was still wet, afraid Lin Xuan might get ink on himself.
Her movements were gentle, and she never said a word, yet she cared for every aspect of Lin Xuan's life. He didn't even need to give instructions. Shuang'er could sense what he needed, as if she could read his mind.
Lin Xuan couldn't help thinking: how could any man not like a woman like this? She was obedient and gentle, yet meticulous in every way.
Before you continue